How to prevent Display Tank from overflowing

[Oneilwiz]

Hi everyone,


I have a standard 90 gallon reef tank with a eshopp HOB Overflow box, I have hard plumb it back to the sump. My problem is that yesterday I came from work to see the water level in my display tank rising, due to the air bubble trap in in the U-Tube. I have a apex controller and was wondering is there any way i can prevent a disaster of my tank ending up on the floor?
Suggestions needed, I have read about using float switch but yet to find any solid solution apart from taking the tank apart and drill it or buy a reef ready tank.

 

[empire]

That's the problem with HOB overflows. Your best bet to protect yourself in the long run is drill your tank/get a RR--gives yourself a reason to upgrade

 

[mbg75]

Get a LifeReef overflow. They are guaranteed not to fail.

Here's a used one on the site.

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum...f-sump-skimmer-refugium-media-filter-ect.html

 

[duromega]

if you talking about the black foam you don't need to put that on your U tubes
I have my 90 running with an overflow box , and is been doing awesome

for those who believe that overflow box won't start if there is an power outage (wrong) it works just like a drilled tank

if you need more details on how to setup your overflow PM me, I have simulated every single disaster on my tank and I can sleep fine because I know my overflow won't fail , No need to drill your tank if you already have an overflow box

 

[bertyboy69]

If you got an air bubble trapped you most likely dont have enough flow going through it , i never had a problrm with a hob with the correct flow , it needs to be abke to purge the air bubbles on its own

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Reefs

 

[tunicata]

I second Bertyboy.
Strong enough force from water flow will break past any large bubble blocks.

My tank has a double u tube.. At first I used both but had throttled back the power of my return pump i.e. water was not moving very fast.
When I ran the tank like this-slow water in/out- the 2nd utube would always develop a bubble and just SHUT DOWN.

However, the 1st utube would be speeding the water right along and be completely full. No issue.

Now, I pretty much opened my pump full throttle and can use both u tubes without any upset.

that's why I'd suggest a flow rate issue.

Also, if you are not using a tiny air pump to regulate your utube (I am not), how you originally begin the flow within your utube matters.

i.e. i take a flex tube and stick it into the middle of my utube, then place the u tube into the overflow box. once enough water has filled the overflow box, i put the other end of the flex tube in my mouth and create suction quickly to get the water to displace from the overflow box and into the utube.

i make sure that the water flow is sufficient in the tube. If not, I stop the flow by lifting the utube slightly to break the connection. once the flow has NO large bubble/gap at the top, i swiftly take the flex tube out. since it's thin and flexible it comes outeasily without disrupting flow.

for 7 years I've had utube overflows like this (i also had one that uses the little pump so I didnt have to risk getting sw in my mouth) and knock on wood....

 

[TommyP]

I as well have not had any issues (knock on wood) with my eshopps overflow box. I used to have a constant bubble but with my new mag 9 that's not an issue. Plenty of flow but it is loud so I am trying to get some more ideas on how to silence it. The only way that it won't start up after a power outage is if the water drains/leaks out of the box into the sump breaking the siphon.

 

[duromega]

The only way that it won't start up after a power outage is if the water drains/leaks out of the box into the sump breaking the siphon.

and is never going to happen unless you pull the U tube out of the box

 

[KathyC]

For an effective way to get the bubble out of the u-tube, see Post # 10 on this thread.
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/general-discussion/75042-overflow-siphon-question.html

 

[TommyP]

Any good tips on how to make it quieter? Where the water goes down the overflow box is the issue on my end.

 

[KathyC]

Any good tips on how to make it quieter? Where the water goes down the overflow box is the issue on my end.

Have you tried dialing back the Mag 9?
The faster water flows through your sump, the less chance of the skimmer getting it as clean, it also leads to higher evaporation rates..and more noise coming through the overflow. The great majority of circulation in the display tank should come from the powerheads that are IN the DT..not through the returns, so you can safely dial that flow back to help quiet the system down somewhat.

 

[TommyP]

Ill try that out when I get home. I do have it dialed back but in a sweet spot that there's no air bubbles in the u-tube and it ended up a little quieter when I re-set up my system. Ill play around with it.

Any other mods to make it quieter if this doesn't work?

 

[Oneilwiz]

Thanks everyone for the heads up, what I did was to lower the overflow box inside the tank to reduce the water level, I tested and confirm if and only if should what happen to me reoccurs, the water in the return compartment of the sump cannot over flow the display tank.
I plan to get a float switch connect to my apex so that when the water level in the sump reaches a low level it shuts off the pump

 

[cmantis]

What I am doing on my frag tank with single drain is taking an ATO switch and reversing it so that if the water rises it shuts off the return pump.

 

[Oneilwiz]

Hey Cmantis do you have any pics of how you reverse the ato switch for if the take water in the main tank should rise?

 

[cmantis]

I just thought about it not sure why I would need to reverse it. If the water level rises and pushes the switch up it will just turn off the pump.

 

[lnevo]

Usually float switches have a c clip you can remove and then turn over the floating part. Just another way to reverse the behavior...